virgin media - early disconnection fees

[Lola87]

Hi

I am having a problem with Virgin Media and wondered if there was anything I could do to sort these guys out once and for all.

I have been a customer of Virgin Media for the last few years and have had nothing but problems with them. However, due to numerous moves and being tied into contracts I haven't been able to leave them.

Now I am moving again. The problem I have is that they only supply phone and broadband in my new area, no TV. I need the whole package to move or not at all and I am reluctant to get into yet another 12 month contract with them which will happen if I take the phone and broadband. They are not interested, told me that I agreed on my contract that I would keep the services for 12 months at my current address. I argued that it is not my fault that they do not fully service my new area, but they weren't budging.

The thing that is annoying me most about it is that I have a friend who recently moved to an area they didn't cover and when she phoned she got a very polite response and they cancelled her contract for her and apologised for not being able to continue providing her with a service. So its looking to me like it really depends who you get through to, she was lucky and I was not.

 

Anyway, they are wanting £100 from me on my next bill because they upgraded my TV in May and have therefore lumped on advance charges. Something they didn't tell me they were going to do I might add. They expect me to pay this, along with £122 for cancelling my contract.

 

I wrote a letter to them, explaining how this was not our fault, I have a young child at home to take care of so I am not currently working and my fiance has been off work since February with a serious illness that has thrown my family into serious financial difficulties. We are having to leave the city we live in and move to a rural town both for financial reasons as well as support. At the moment we are on our own here, but my fiance has family in our new area who can help support him through his illness as I can not carry this myself. I asked Virgin Media to take this into consideration, that this was nobodies fault and why should I be penalised, but again they are not interested and have said that I could still take my broadband and phone and they will only charge me £34.67. I feel like they are bullying me, saying do it or you will get massive charges you cant afford!

 

Is there anything I can do? I am feeling really stressed by it all. I understand that I entered into a contract with Virgin and its not their fault I am moving but equally its not my fault they dont cover the area!

[Mark_Blackpool]

Your contract is a contract at that location, which as you recognise, you're breaching by ending early. Only about half of this country has cable.

 

However this ray of sunshine may well cheer you up:

Cheaper charges for UK consumers to end phone contracts | Ofcom

[Lola87]

Good to hear that! Its a shame it wont apply to me yet though as Virgin Media isn't rolling out the changes until August GRRR.

 

I do understand the contract, but I think its wrong that they are, in my opinion, bullying a family in a desperate situation. We didn't ask for things to happen the way they did, if I could magic my fiance back into good health and put us in a better financial situation I would. I appealed to Virgin Media and asked for them to consider our situation, but they simply don't care.

 

Sad times.